Chelsea have reached a stalemate in their negotiations with Benfica to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
That’s according to transfer journalist Dean Jones, who has reported that the Blues are struggling to reach an agreement with their Portuguese rivals for the signing of Argentina’s Fernandez.
The Blues are on the cusp of signing Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season but with Graham Potter’s problems extending far beyond his team’s attack, owner Todd Boehly also appears to be targeting midfield options.
Following his hugely impressive World Cup campaign with Argentina at the end of last year, Fernandez, who not only lifted the prestigious trophy alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, was also crowned the tournament’s best young player, and that form saw him quickly emerge as a top target for the Londoners.
However, reported to have a clause in his deal worth a staggering €120m (Gaston Edul), prising the talented 21-year-old away from Portugal will not be easy, as Chelsea have since discovered.
Providing the latest update on how the two club’s negotiations are going, Jones admitted that the proposed deal is on the verge of collapsing due to Benfica’s demands to receive the midfielder’s full release clause upfront – something Chelsea are hesitant to agree to.
“We’re in a position where, for now, Benfica are back to saying it’s the release clause or nothing,” Jones told GiveMeSport.
“Chelsea will not trigger the release clause. When a club says that, they can be genuine, which means the deal is off. Or they can be saying that to try and bait the buyer into increasing their offer and getting somewhere closer to that.
“It’s one to watch in the sense that Chelsea love the player and wanted to move to try and beat their rivals to his signature. But for now, there are no talks between the parties. It’s off at the time of recording.”
Since joining Benfica from River Plate last summer, Fernandez, who has four years left on his deal, has gone on to feature in 25 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to eight goals along the way.